serp-

    serp-

    English meaning: to crawl, *snake

    Deutsche Übersetzung: “kriechen”

    Note: From a zero grade of Root angʷ(h)i- : ‘snake, worm” derived Illyr. *nsala “eel” [later Alb. (*encheleae > *ensala) ngjalë “eel”], then from the intermediary Illyr. root *nsala “eel” derived Root sal- : ‘salt; salty water” and Root sal-2 : “dirty grey; salt, saliva, willow”. Also from Illyr. PN Salapia (Apulia) to FlN *Sal-apa ‘salty water” [sala ‘salt” + *apa “water”] derived an intermediary root *salpa- ‘sea snake” then Root serp- : “to crawl, snake”.

    Material: O.Ind. sárpati ‘slinks, crawls, goes” (= ἕρπω, Lat. serpō), sarpá- m. ‘snake”; Gk. ἕρπω ‘slink, go”, ἑρπύζω ‘slink, crawl, creep”, ἑρπετόν “crawling animal”, ablaut. Lesb. ὄρπετον “animal” (*sr̥p-), ἕρπης, -τος “lichen an the skin”, ἕρπυλλον “ thyme “ (latinisiert serpullum); Alb. gjarpën ‘snake” (*serpeno-), shtërpínj “all Kriechende”; Lat. serpō “crawl, creep, slink”, serpēns ‘snake”.

    References: WP. II 502, WH. II 524.